Chair



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

D. PARKS.

CHAIR.

Patented Jan. 10, 1888.

M1312 5 E E 5 i N PETERS, PhollrLithngmphcr. Wnsllinglon. DV (2.

m Model 2.Sheets sheet 2.

D. PARKS.

CHAIR.

Patented Jan. 10, 1888.

N PETERS. FholwLilhngrapl-er, 'wmin wn. n. c.

UNITED STATE s PATENT ime.

DANA PARKS, OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO'THE KENSING- T013CHAIR COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,256, dated January10, 1888. Application filed April 4, 1887. Serial No. 2 23,616. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ' whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANA PARKS, a citizen of the United States, residingat Revere, in

the county of Sutfolk and State of"M'-assaehusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Steamer, Lawn, and InvalidChairs; and Ido hereby declare that the same are fully described in thefollowing specification and illustratedin the accompanying draw- IOlugs.

This invention relates to improvements in steamer, lawn, and invalidchairs; and it is carried out as follows, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 represents a perspective view oftheimproved chair in a closed position. Fig. 2 represents a perspectiveview of the chair as open for a sitting position of the occupant. Fig. 3represents a perspective view of the chair with the back seat andleg-rest arranged for a reclining position of the occupant. Fig.

4 represents a detail view of the locking device t'or securing the lowerends of the forward suspension-links to the chair-seat. Fig.

15 5 representsadetail view ofthe pin and notched rack for securing theback of the chair in any desired position to the arnrrests. Fig. 6represents a detail view of the guide for the legrest, and Fig.7represents a detail view ofthc 0 hinge by means of which the upper endsof the front and rear legs are hinged together.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on thedifferent parts of the,

drawings.

a a represent the rear legs, one on each' side of the chair, which arehinged at or near their upper ends to the respective front legs, I) b,by means of stop-hinges c c, the plates of which haveupwardly-projecting stop-exten- 0 sions do, that are brought in contactwith each other when the legs a b are swung out to their full extent, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3, and thereby toprevent their spreading fartherapart when the chair is expanded ready for v 5 use. 7

a and a are stays or braces uniting the rear legs, a a, so as to holdthem at a proper distance apart.

bt and b are similar stays or braces between the front legs, I) b, asshown.

d d are the armrests, which are hinged at or near their front ends, bymeans of hinges e e, to the upper ends of the rear legs, a a.

d is a stay or brace by which the rear ends of the arm-rests dd aresecured together, at. a proper distance apart, as shown.

F is the back of the chair, and G is its seat,

the two being hinged together by means of hinges h 71, as shown.

I is the legrest, made adjustable and adapted to slide in grooves on theunder side of the seat G. On the sides of the back F, about midwaybetween its upper and lower ends, are secured the outwardlyprojectingpins f f, which are guided in the grooves (2 d on the insides of thearm-rests d d, as shown.

- For the purpose of securing the back F to the arm-rests d d at anydesired inclinatioml secure to the inside of the armrests, d d the metalplates D D, provided with a number of locking-notches,D D,open at theirlower ends where they communicate with the grooves d d" on the arm-rests(Z (Z, by which arrangement the back F can be adjusted to any desired inclination and secured to the arm-rests, after beingso adj ustcd, bylocating the side projeetions, ff, in any of the notches D D on theplates D D;

When the chair is in use and the legs a a b b expanded, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3, to prevent the legs from spreading and to relieve unduestrain on the stop-hinges c c, I hinge to'the brace a that unites therear legs, a a, the bent, curved, or otherwise shaped link k, theforward end of which is provided with a hook, k, adapted to be connectedto brace bon the forward legs, I) b, as shown in said Figs. 2 and 3.Such hooked link, when the chairis not in use, is to be swung out of theway beneath the seat G, as shown in Fig. 1. When the legs a a b b areexpanded, the free end ofthe hooked link 7c 76 will swing automaticallyinto position,so that its hook is will catch on the brace I) when thelegs a b are expanded to the limit of their open positions, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3, and thus obviate the necessity of manipulating a lockingdevice for the legs a a b b.

To the inside of the upper end of eachrear leg, 64, is secured thesuspension-plates A A, having stationary fulcral and m, to which arehinged, respectively, the seat-supporting links L and M, as shown. Thelower end of the rear link, L, is hinged at Z to the side of the seat G.

To permit the chair to be folded together, as shown in Fig. 1, it isessential that thelower end of the front link, M, should not be rigidlyhinged to the sides of the seat G, but attached in such a manner as topermit the seat to be swung upward on the fulera Z 1' when not desiredfor use, and for this purpose I pivot to the outside of the seat G aslotted block, N, through which the link M passes, as shown.

m is a side lip at the lower end-of link M, that comes in contact withthe under side of the slotted pivoted block N when the seat G is swungdown in its operative position, and such lip m on link M serves as astop or rest to prevent the forward end of seat G from being tippeddownward when the chair is being occupied.

To prevent the seat from tipping backward when occupied, I make on eachlink M, near its lower end, a cut-away portion, m, having in its upperenda stop-projection, m, against which the upper edge of the slottedblock N is caused to rest while the chair is in use.

When not required for use, the chair may be folded together, as shown inFig. 1, by raising the rear ends of the armrests d d sufficiently todisengage the projectionsff 011 the back F from the notched plates D D,after which the back F can be swung forward on hinges h h, theprojectionsff during such motion being guided in the grooves d d on thearm-rests d d. The lower ends of links M M are then to be unlocked fromthe slotted and pivoted blocks N N, after which the scat G is swungupward to meet the back F, the armrests'll (I being swung on the hingese e to lie on the back of rear legs, a a, and the frontlegs b I) beingswung on hinges c 0 against the under side of legs a a, allsubstantially as shown in Fig. 1. \Vhen so folded together, the chair ismade flat, or nearly so, and occupies but a very small space.

The leg-rest I is located below the seat G, the latter being providedwith side grooves, g g, in which project the lugs i i, secured to therear end of the leg-rest I. On the under side of the forward endof seatGis secured a trans 5o verse bar, serving to support the leg-rest I,

either when pushed to the rear or drawn out more or less when in use.

By having arm-rests hinged to legs or base, the seat hung on two fulcraon each side, and

the back hinged in its lower end to the rear of the seat, and havingitsupper portion adj usta bly secured to the arm rests, the chair is sonicely poised as to level and adjust itself automatically to the variouspositions of the occupant, and yields readily to such positions.

The chair is admirably adapted for deck use on steamers or sailingvessels, and will level and adj ustitself automatically, when occupied,to changes in the deck-level, so as to retain a permanent, or nearly so,position of the occupant,the two fulcra on which it is hung serving toprevent it from being too sensitive and rocking too far or too easily bythe motion of the vessel.

The base may be modified, if so desired, by having three legs on eachside instead of two, as shown in the drawings; but I prefer to use theconstruct-ion as shown and described.

What I wish to secure by Letters Patent, and claim, is

1. The combination, with the folding base, comprising the rear and frontlegs, a b, of the hinges 0, having their pivoted plates secured,respectively, to the inner sides ofthe legs, and each platehavingastop-cxtension, 0, project ing upward above the pivot of theplates to abut each other when the legs arespread apart, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination, in a folding chair, of the base comprising the rearand front legs, a b, hinged together at their upper ends and providedwith the fulcra Zm, the seat G, the rear and front links, L and M, hungon said fulcra,the rear links being pivoted to the seat, and the frontlinks having stops m, and the slotted blocks N, )ivoted to the seat, andin which the front links can slide and their stops engage and disengagethe blocks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihaveaffixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

DANA PARKS.

Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDREN, HENRY CHADBOURN.

